This invention relates generally to social networking and, in particular, to accessing a third-party communication service (such as VoIP or video chat) via a social networking system.
When users of a social networking system wish to use a third-party communication service, they typically access the communication service via a web browser or mobile device independently of the social networking system. For example, a third-party communication service may enable users to make free long distance phone calls via voice over IP (VoIP) technology through computers, digital telephony, and mobile devices. Users of a social networking system must create a separate account (e.g., login and password) on these third-party communication services and sometimes must download particular client software to use the third-party communication services.
An open login system of user authentication has been used by social networking systems that enables users to login into the social networking system with their login and password credentials only once via a social plug-in in a web browser. Thereafter, a user may log into a third-party system using his or her login and password credentials for the social networking system. This open login system has enabled third-party systems to use information gathered by the social networking system, such as a user's name, photo, age, and location. This information is only shared with third-party systems with the express consent of the user. Additionally, the third-party system does not receive the unique user identifier of the user logging in, but instead, they receive only the user-authorized information that has been gathered on the social networking system.
Despite the emergence of open login systems, social networking systems have not enabled users to access third-party communication systems from within the social networking systems. Specialized technology that operates on third-party communication services, such as the VoIP phone calls mentioned above, are not used via social networking systems. Additionally, administrators of social networking systems, in an effort to protect the security and privacy of their users, are hesitant to share the unique user identifiers associated with their users with third-party communication services.